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Shri N, Singh S, Singh SK. Latent class analysis of chronic disease co-occurrence, clustering and their determinants in India using Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) India Wave-2. J Glob Health 2024; 14:04079. [PMID: 38940270 PMCID: PMC11212113 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.14.04079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding chronic disease prevalence, patterns, and co-occurrence is pivotal for effective health care planning and disease prevention strategies. In this paper, we aimed to identify the clustering of major non-communicable diseases among Indian adults aged ≥50 years based on their self-reported diagnosed non-communicable disease status and to find the risk factors that heighten the risk of developing the identified disease clusters. Methods We utilised data from the nationally representative survey Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE Wave-2). The eligible sample size was 6298 adults aged ≥50 years. We conducted the latent class analysis to uncover latent subgroups of multimorbidity and the multinomial logistic regression to identify the factors linked to observed latent class membership. Results The latent class analysis grouped our sample of men and women >49 years old into three groups - mild multimorbidity risk (41%), moderate multimorbidity risk (30%), and severe multimorbidity risk (29%). In the mild multimorbidity risk group, the most prevalent diseases were asthma and arthritis, and the major prevalent disease in the moderate multimorbidity risk group was low near/distance vision, followed by depression, asthma, and lung disease. Angina, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke were the major diseases in the severe multimorbidity risk category. Individuals with higher ages had an 18% and 15% higher risk of having moderate multimorbidity and severe multimorbidity compared to those in the mild multimorbidity category. Females were more likely to have a moderate risk (3.36 times) and 2.82 times more likely to have severe multimorbidity risk. Conclusions The clustering of diseases highlights the importance of integrated disease management in primary care settings and improving the health care system to accommodate the individual's needs. Implementing preventive measures and tailored interventions, strengthening the health and wellness centres, and delivering comprehensive primary health care services for secondary and tertiary level hospitalisation may cater to the needs of multimorbid patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shri Kant Singh
- Department of Survey Research and Data Analytics, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India
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Dhafari TB, Pate A, Azadbakht N, Bailey R, Rafferty J, Jalali-Najafabadi F, Martin GP, Hassaine A, Akbari A, Lyons J, Watkins A, Lyons RA, Peek N. A scoping review finds a growing trend in studies validating multimorbidity patterns and identifies five broad types of validation methods. J Clin Epidemiol 2024; 165:111214. [PMID: 37952700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more long-term conditions, is a growing public health concern. Many studies use analytical methods to discover multimorbidity patterns from data. We aimed to review approaches used in published literature to validate these patterns. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING We systematically searched PubMed and Web of Science for studies published between July 2017 and July 2023 that used analytical methods to discover multimorbidity patterns. RESULTS Out of 31,617 studies returned by the searches, 172 were included. Of these, 111 studies (64%) conducted validation, the number of studies with validation increased from 53.13% (17 out of 32 studies) to 71.25% (57 out of 80 studies) in 2017-2019 to 2022-2023, respectively. Five types of validation were identified: assessing the association of multimorbidity patterns with clinical outcomes (n = 79), stability across subsamples (n = 26), clinical plausibility (n = 22), stability across methods (n = 7) and exploring common determinants (n = 2). Some studies used multiple types of validation. CONCLUSION The number of studies conducting a validation of multimorbidity patterns is clearly increasing. The most popular validation approach is assessing the association of multimorbidity patterns with clinical outcomes. Methodological guidance on the validation of multimorbidity patterns is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thamer Ba Dhafari
- Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK
| | - Alexander Pate
- Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK
| | - Narges Azadbakht
- Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK
| | - Rowena Bailey
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - James Rafferty
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Farideh Jalali-Najafabadi
- Centre for Genetics and Genomics Versus Arthritis, Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK
| | - Glen P Martin
- Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK
| | - Abdelaali Hassaine
- Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK
| | - Ashley Akbari
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Jane Lyons
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Alan Watkins
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Ronan A Lyons
- Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK
| | - Niels Peek
- Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK; NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
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Craig LS, Cunningham-Myrie CA, Theall KP, Gustat J, Hernandez JH, Hotchkiss DR. Multimorbidity patterns and health-related quality of life in Jamaican adults: a cross sectional study exploring potential pathways. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1094280. [PMID: 37332764 PMCID: PMC10272613 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1094280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Multimorbidity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are intimately linked. Multiple chronic conditions may adversely affect physical and mental functioning, while poorer HRQoL may contribute to the worsening course of diseases. Understanding mechanisms through which specific combinations of diseases affect HRQoL outcomes can facilitate identification of factors which are amenable to intervention. Jamaica, a middle-income country with high multimorbidity prevalence, has a health service delivery system dominated by public sector provision via a broad healthcare network. This study aims to examine whether multimorbidity classes differentially impact physical and mental dimensions of HRQoL in Jamaicans and quantify indirect effects on the multimorbidity-HRQoL relationship that are mediated by health system factors pertaining to financial healthcare access and service use. Materials and methods Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to estimate associations between multimorbidity classes and HRQoL outcomes, using latest available data from the nationally representative Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey 2007/2008 (N = 2,551). Multimorbidity measurement was based on self-reported presence/absence of 11 non-communicable diseases (NCDs). HRQoL was measured using the 12-item short-form (SF-12) Health Survey. Mediation analyses guided by the counterfactual approach explored indirect effects of insurance coverage and service use on the multimorbidity-HRQoL relationship. Results LCA revealed four profiles, including a Relatively Healthy class (52.7%) characterized by little to no morbidity and three multimorbidity classes characterized by specific patterns of NCDs and labelled Metabolic (30.9%), Vascular-Inflammatory (12.2%), and Respiratory (4.2%). Compared to the Relatively Healthy class, Vascular-Inflammatory class membership was associated with lower physical functioning (β = -5.5; p < 0.001); membership in Vascular-Inflammatory (β = -1.7; p < 0.05), and Respiratory (β = -2.5; p < 0.05) classes was associated with lower mental functioning. Significant mediated effects of health service use, on mental functioning, were observed for Vascular-Inflammatory (p < 0.05) and Respiratory (p < 0.05) classes. Conclusion Specific combinations of diseases differentially impacted HRQoL outcomes in Jamaicans, demonstrating the clinical and epidemiological value of multimorbidity classes for this population, and providing insights that may also be relevant to other settings. To better tailor interventions to support multimorbidity management, additional research is needed to elaborate personal experiences with healthcare and examine how health system factors reinforce or mitigate positive health-seeking behaviours, including timely use of services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie S. Craig
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | | | - Katherine P. Theall
- Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Jeanette Gustat
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Julie H. Hernandez
- Department of International Health and Sustainable Development, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - David R. Hotchkiss
- Department of International Health and Sustainable Development, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
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Álvarez-Gálvez J, Ortega-Martín E, Carretero-Bravo J, Pérez-Muñoz C, Suárez-Lledó V, Ramos-Fiol B. Social determinants of multimorbidity patterns: A systematic review. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1081518. [PMID: 37050950 PMCID: PMC10084932 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1081518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Social determinants of multimorbidity are poorly understood in clinical practice. This review aims to characterize the different multimorbidity patterns described in the literature while identifying the social and behavioral determinants that may affect their emergence and subsequent evolution. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. In total, 97 studies were chosen from the 48,044 identified. Cardiometabolic, musculoskeletal, mental, and respiratory patterns were the most prevalent. Cardiometabolic multimorbidity profiles were common among men with low socioeconomic status, while musculoskeletal, mental and complex patterns were found to be more prevalent among women. Alcohol consumption and smoking increased the risk of multimorbidity, especially in men. While the association of multimorbidity with lower socioeconomic status is evident, patterns of mild multimorbidity, mental and respiratory related to middle and high socioeconomic status are also observed. The findings of the present review point to the need for further studies addressing the impact of multimorbidity and its social determinants in population groups where this problem remains invisible (e.g., women, children, adolescents and young adults, ethnic groups, disabled population, older people living alone and/or with few social relations), as well as further work with more heterogeneous samples (i.e., not only focusing on older people) and using more robust methodologies for better classification and subsequent understanding of multimorbidity patterns. Besides, more studies focusing on the social determinants of multimorbidity and its inequalities are urgently needed in low- and middle-income countries, where this problem is currently understudied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Álvarez-Gálvez
- Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health, University of Cadiz, Cádiz, Spain
- The University Research Institute for Sustainable Social Development (Instituto Universitario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Social Sostenible), University of Cadiz, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
| | - Esther Ortega-Martín
- Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health, University of Cadiz, Cádiz, Spain
- *Correspondence: Esther Ortega-Martín
| | - Jesús Carretero-Bravo
- Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health, University of Cadiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Celia Pérez-Muñoz
- Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Cadiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Víctor Suárez-Lledó
- Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health, University of Cadiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Begoña Ramos-Fiol
- Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health, University of Cadiz, Cádiz, Spain
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Chen Y, Shi L, Zheng X, Yang J, Xue Y, Xiao S, Xue B, Zhang J, Li X, Lin H, Ma C, Zhang C. Patterns and Determinants of Multimorbidity in Older Adults: Study in Health-Ecological Perspective. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16756. [PMID: 36554647 PMCID: PMC9779369 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Multimorbidity has become one of the key issues in the public health sector. This study aims to explore the patterns and health-ecological factors of multimorbidity in China to propose policy recommendations for the management of chronic diseases in the elderly. (2) Methods: A multi-stage random sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey on 3637 older adults aged 60 and older in Shanxi, China. Association rule mining analysis (ARM) and network analysis were applied to analyze the patterns of multimorbidity. The health-ecological model was adopted to explore the potential associated factors of multimorbidity in a multidimensional perspective. A hierarchical multiple logistic model was employed to investigate the association strengths reflected by adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence. (3) Results: Multimorbidity occurred in 20.95% of the respondents. The graph of network analysis showed that there were 6 combinations of chronic diseases with strong association strengths and 14 with moderate association strengths. The results of the ARM were similar to the network analysis; six dyadic chronic disease combinations and six triadic ones were obtained. Hierarchical multiple logistic regression indicated that innate personal traits (age, history of genetics, and body mass index), behavioral lifestyle (physical activity levels and medication adherence), interpersonal network (marital status), and socioeconomic status (educational level) were the common predictors of multimorbidity for older adults, among which, having no family history was found to be a relative determinant as a protective factor for multimorbidity after controlling the other covariates. (4) Conclusions: multimorbidity was prevalent in older adults and most disease combinations are associated with hypertension, followed by diabetes. This shows that diabetes and hypertension have a high prevalence among older adults and have a wide range of associations with other chronic diseases. Exploring the patterns and associated factors of multimorbidity will help the country prevent complications and avoid the unnecessary use of the health service, adopting an integrated approach to managing multimorbidity rather than an individual disease-specific approach and implementing different strategies according to the location of residence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Chen
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Lei Shi
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xiao Zheng
- Department of Health Management, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan 528399, China
| | - Juan Yang
- School of Health Management, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, China
| | - Yaqing Xue
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Shujuan Xiao
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Benli Xue
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jiachi Zhang
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xinru Li
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Huang Lin
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Chao Ma
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Chichen Zhang
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Department of Health Management, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Institute of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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Social inequalities in multimorbidity patterns in Europe: A multilevel latent class analysis using the European Social Survey (ESS). SSM Popul Health 2022; 20:101268. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Puri P, Singh SK, Pati S. Identifying non-communicable disease multimorbidity patterns and associated factors: a latent class analysis approach. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e053981. [PMID: 35820748 PMCID: PMC9277367 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In the absence of adequate nationally-representative empirical evidence on multimorbidity, the existing healthcare delivery system is not adequately oriented to cater to the growing needs of the older adult population. Therefore, the present study identifies frequently occurring multimorbidity patterns among older adults in India. Further, the study examines the linkages between the identified patterns and socioeconomic, demographic, lifestyle and anthropometric correlates. DESIGN The present findings rest on a large nationally-representative sample from a cross-sectional study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS The study used data on 58 975 older adults (45 years and older) from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, 2017-2018. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES The study incorporated a list of 16 non-communicable diseases to identify commonly occurring patterns using latent class analysis. The study employed multinomial logistic regression models to assess the association between identified disease patterns with unit-level socioeconomic, demographic, lifestyle and anthropometric characteristics. RESULTS The present study demonstrates that older adults in the country can be segmented into six patterns: 'relatively healthy', 'hypertension', 'gastrointestinal disorders-hypertension-musculoskeletal disorders', 'musculoskeletal disorders-hypertension-asthma', 'metabolic disorders' and 'complex cardiometabolic disorders'. Additionally, socioeconomic, demographic, lifestyle and anthropometric factors are significantly associated with one or more identified disease patterns. CONCLUSIONS The identified classes 'hypertension', 'metabolic disorders' and 'complex cardiometabolic disorders' reflect three stages of cardiometabolic morbidity with hypertension as the first and 'complex cardiometabolic disorders' as the last stage of disease progression. This underscores the need for effective prevention strategies for high-risk hypertension group. Also, targeted interventions are essential to reduce the burden on the high-risk population and provide equitable health services at the community level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parul Puri
- Department of Survey Research and Data Analytics, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shri Kant Singh
- Department of Survey Research and Data Analytics, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Sanghamitra Pati
- Department of Health Research, Indian Council of Medical Research Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India
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Paolillo EW, Lee SY, VandeBunte A, Djukic N, Fonseca C, Kramer JH, Casaletto KB. Wearable Use in an Observational Study Among Older Adults: Adherence, Feasibility, and Effects of Clinicodemographic Factors. Front Digit Health 2022; 4:884208. [PMID: 35754462 PMCID: PMC9231611 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2022.884208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Wearables have great potential to improve monitoring and delivery of physical activity interventions to older adults with downstream benefits to multisystem health and longevity; however, benefits obtained from wearables depend on their uptake and usage. Few studies have examined person-specific factors that relate to wearable adherence. We characterized adherence to using a wearable activity tracker for 30 days and examined associations between adherence and demographics, cognitive functioning, brain volumes, and technology familiarity among community-dwelling older adults. Methods Participants were 175 older adults enrolled in the UCSF Longitudinal Brain Aging Study who were asked to wear a FitbitTM Flex 2 during waking hours for 30 days. Sixty two of these participants were also asked to sync their devices to the Fitbit smartphone app daily to collect minute-level data. We calculated adherence to wearing the Fitbit daily (i.e., proportion of days with valid activity data) and adherence to daily device syncing (i.e., proportion of days with minute-level activity data). Participants also completed a brain MRI and in-person cognitive testing measuring memory, executive functioning, and processing speed. Spearman correlations, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and logistic regression tested relationships between wearable adherence and clinicodemographic factors. Results Participants wore the Fitbits for an average of 95% of study days and were 85% adherent to the daily syncing protocol. Greater adherence to wearing the device was related to female sex. Greater adherence to daily device syncing was related to better memory, independent of demographic factors. Wearable adherence was not significantly related to age, education, executive functioning, processing speed, brain gray matter volumes, or self-reported familiarity with technology. Participants reported little-to-no difficulty using the wearable and all reported willingness to participate in another wearable study in the future. Conclusions Older adults have overall high adherence to wearable use in the current study protocol. Person-specific factors, however, may represent potential barriers to equitable uptake of wearables for physical activity among older adults, including demographics and cognitive functioning. Future studies and clinical providers utilizing wearable activity trackers with older adults may benefit from implementation of reminders (e.g., texts, calls) for device use, particularly among men and individuals with memory impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily W. Paolillo
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Emily W. Paolillo
| | - Shannon Y. Lee
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Anna VandeBunte
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Nina Djukic
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Corrina Fonseca
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Joel H. Kramer
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kaitlin B. Casaletto
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Fleitas Alfonzo L, King T, You E, Contreras-Suarez D, Zulkelfi S, Singh A. Theoretical explanations for socioeconomic inequalities in multimorbidity: a scoping review. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e055264. [PMID: 35197348 PMCID: PMC8882654 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To document socioepidemiological theories used to explain the relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage and multimorbidity. DESIGN Scoping review. METHODS A search strategy was developed and then applied to multiple electronic databases including Medline, Embase, PsychInfo, Web of Science, Scielo, Applied Social Sciences, ERIC, Humanities Index and Sociological Abstracts. After the selection of studies, data were extracted using a data charting plan. The last search was performed on the 28 September 2021. Extracted data included: study design, country, population subgroups, measures of socioeconomic inequality, assessment of multimorbidity and conclusion on the association between socioeconomic variables and multimorbidity. Included studies were further assessed on their use of theory, type of theories used and context of application. Finally, we conducted a meta-narrative synthesis to summarise the results. RESULTS A total of 64 studies were included in the review. Of these, 33 papers included theories as explanations for the association between socioeconomic position and multimorbidity. Within this group, 16 explicitly stated those theories and five tested at least one theory. Behavioural theories (health behaviours) were the most frequently used, followed by materialist (access to health resources) and psychosocial (stress pathways) theories. Most studies used theories as post hoc explanations for their findings or for study rationale. Supportive evidence was found for the role of material, behavioural and life course theories in explaining the relationship between social inequalities and multimorbidity. CONCLUSION Given the widely reported social inequalities in multimorbidity and its increasing public health burden, there is a critical gap in evidence on pathways from socioeconomic disadvantage to multimorbidity. Generating evidence of these pathways will guide the development of intervention and public policies to prevent multimorbidity among people living in social disadvantage. Material, behavioural and life course pathways can be targeted to reduce the negative effect of low socioeconomic position on multimorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila Fleitas Alfonzo
- Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tania King
- Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily You
- Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Diana Contreras-Suarez
- Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Syafiqah Zulkelfi
- Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ankur Singh
- Centre of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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